Elizabeth Holmes’ partner Billy Evans made unusual request while filming ‘You Can See Everything’
Billy Evans (partner of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes) is seen having a shower early on in A24’s ‘You Can See Everything.’ Co-director Lance Oppenheim revealed in an interview with GQ that this was his own idea. Notably, the scene appears shortly after a sequence of Evans working out at the gym. When asked how and why they agreed on this scene, Oppenheim revealed, "We were in the car ride on the way back from the gym, and I said to Billy, 'We will give you some time to shower.' And Billy responded, 'Want to film me showering?' I offered to film him in a way that could avoid seeing his genitals, but Billy said he didn’t care about being seen naked."
The sequence was filmed with three cameras, one inside the bathroom, one on co-director Nathan Fielder, and one outside the door. Once Evans exits the shower, he looks into a camera and smiles, a moment that remained in the final cut. Oppenheim said he does not know exactly why Evans agreed to the scene, though viewers have offered various theories. His own take is that Evans was likely "excited that people could see everything and that there was full access." Oppenheim also said he has not been in touch with Evans for a while and that Holmes has yet to see the film.
Interestingly, Evans admitted during the All-In podcast ahead of the release that he hadn’t seen the film yet and may come to realize it’s “the dumbest thing” he has ever done. Evans defended the decision to make the film, saying viewers should watch it and form their own opinions. The documentary follows Holmes and Evans during the weeks leading up to her 11-year federal prison sentence for defrauding Theranos investors. They invited Fielder and Oppenheim to their home to shoot the project, and the majority of the filming took place in 2023. Amanda Seyfried (who played Holmes in ‘The Dropout’) also features in the film.
After more than three years of quiet work by Fielder and Oppenheim, the film first screened as a surprise, no-phones event at the Telluride Film Festival on September 6, and A24 released it on October 16. It opened to $15.6 million across 855 theaters, the best opening for a nonmusical documentary in 20 years. In its second weekend, it brought in $19.5 million after opening in 2,655 theaters. A24 is also submitting the film for best picture, director, cinematography, and more categories at the 99th Academy Awards, in addition to its eligibility for Best Documentary Feature.
